Silent Scream
by lozielou
Summary: No one actually knows what happened on the night Giggles fell of the cliff. And it appears that no one ever will- as the accident left her paralysed and mute. Then Flaky is hired to read to Giggles, and she realises that Giggles is desperately trying to tell her something. If Flaky doesn't put the pieces together before it's too late, Giggles secret could stay hidden...forever.
1. Chapter 1

**AN- Well hello everyone! It's me again, it has sure felt like a long time since I have done one of these. But now I have fixed my laptop and finished my mock exams, I am ready to write again. So here we go...**

Chapter 1

The advert in the newspaper was short and to the point.

 _Wanted, reader. Reliable, responsible. Flexible hours._

That's me, Flaky thought when she saw it. She hadn't discovered any great hidden talents about herself yet. But she could read. She was reliable. And she could use the extra money.

When Flaky answered the advert, the woman on the phone had a cool, clipped voice, but Flaky thought that she heard a hint of relief in it. Maybe nobody else had called about the job.

 _Drive up the cliff road. When you can't go and further, you're there. It's the Randolph house._

It was grey and foggy when Flaky left her own house and drove through the streets of Happy Tree Town. Almost every morning since she'd moved there had been grey and foggy. This Monday was no exception.

Flaky had been furious when her parents decided to move. All her friends were back in Cherry Tree Town. She'd asked -begged- to stay behind and live with one of these friends, just until she finished college. No deal.

So she was a stranger in a strange town. She'd be a stranger when school started in September. She would be friendless. She wouldn't belong.

When Flaky finally saw the house, she stopped and stared. Its pale grey stone walls seemed to be built from the wisps of fog that still clung to the ground around it. It was three stories tall, and stood close to the edge of the cliffs over looking the town.

Even though it was June, Flaky shivered. The house was something out of a horror movie. A bad horror movie.

Flaky tightened her grip on the wheel of the car and looked around. Ahead, between two flat-topped pillars, she could see the front of the house. A short, U-shaped drive ran up to the wide front door. It was black and shiny, with a big stone pot on each side. The pots were empty. They needed flowers or ivy in them. Something alive.

The woman had told Flaky to drive to the back. What she really wanted to do was turn and leave. It was too eerie here.

Shake it off, she told herself. You need the job. You need something to do besides sit around in an empty house, feeling sorry for yourself because you had to move. She drove forward.

She didn't see the other car until it was almost too late.

Bright red, it shot out between the grey pillars like a torch, missing Flaky's front bumper by inches.

Hitting the horn and the brakes at the same time, Flaky swerved to a stop.

The red car didn't even slow down. Flaky caught a glimpse of the driver behind the wheel- his lips parted as if he was yelling at her; his face partially covered by black sunglasses. A spray of gravel rattled, and then the car was gone, swerving round the bend in the road.

Shaken and furious, Flaky leaned her head back and took a deep breath.

It wasn't a good omen.

Maybe she should just forget about it and go home, now.

No, she thought stubbornly. No!

Still angry, she drove between the pillars and down the curved, tree-lined drive around the back of the house. In a wide parking area next to a triple garage, she pulled to a stop alongside a dark-green pickup truck loaded with gardening tools.

Flaky got up and looked around. The back of the house had tall windows that looked out on a stone terrace with a waist high wall. On top of that wall was a black and white cat, lying on it's back. When Flaky slammed her car door, the cat turned onto its stomach to watch her.

Steps from the terrace led down to a sloping green lawn. Beyond, a thick tangle of trees seemed to go on forever. Wisps of fog drifted like smoke through the trees. It was very quiet.

Too quiet.

Out of the corner of her eye, Flaky saw a shadow move across the windows. She turned, then jumped as a high pitch whine suddenly cut through the silence. The cat came to life, springing from the wall and streaking round the corner of the house. Forgetting about the shadow at the window, Flaky spun around and saw a man trimming a hedge on the far side of the lawn.

Stop letting this place get to you, Flaky told herself.

Feeling foolish for spooking so easily, Flaky smoothed back her hair. She walked up the white flagstone path leading to a door at one end of the terrace. Before she reached it, the door opened. A tall, middle aged woman stood there. She watched silently as Flaky picked her way up the puddled path.

"Mrs. Joy?" Flaky said when she got closer.

The woman's mouth curved slightly. Flaky decided that it was a smile. "I'm Mrs. Joy, Rose Joy."

Flaky recongised her voice from the phone call. "I'm Flaky Quills. You probably guessed that."

Mrs. Joy nodded and stepped aside so Flaky could go into the house.

"This way please," Mrs. Joy said.

Flaky followed the woman down a long dim hallway. They passed several carved wooden doors, and a hall that led to another wing of the house. Flaky had never been in a place this big before.

Stopping at one of the carved doors, Mrs. Joy opened it and led Flaky into a small room, In it were two chairs, a desk, a computer, and several filing cabinets. A small television sat on the desk.

Mrs. Joy moved behind the desk and motioned for Flaky to take one of the chairs. She said, "Do you know Giggles?"

Flaky shook her head.

"Then you must know... she had an accident. She's paralysed."

"Oh. I'm sorry." It sounded pretty lame, but Flaky couldn't think of anything else to say.

"Yes everyone is." Mrs. Joy picked up a pencil and started to fiddle with it. "The doctors think that it's possible for her to recover," she said. "A physical therapist visits her regularly, so do some of her friends." Her mouth twitched in in that almost smile again. Flaky got the feeling that she wasn't crazy about her daughter's friends.

"But she needs more," Mrs. Joy went on. "She's always enjoyed reading, but she can't do it on her own now. The doctor suggested hiring a reader." She looked at Flaky then changed the subject. "Tell me about yourself, Flaky."

"Well, I moved here a few weeks ago," Flaky said. "I'm seventeen. I've been baby sitting at neighbours, but I'd like to earn some more money. Most of the summer jobs are already taken, so when I saw the advert, I called." Listening to herself, Flaky didn't think she sounded very impressive. But the woman didn't want to hear her life story. She just wanted someone who could read.

Mrs. Joy stared out of the window. Following her gaze, Flaky saw the gardener walking alongside the garden. He was younger than he looked from a distance. Maybe her own age. she thought.

As if he knew he was being watched, the guy turned and looked out the window. Flaky wasn't sure, but she thought he smiled.

Looking annoyed, Mrs. Joy got up and pulled a heavy green curtain across the window. Then she sat back down and folded her hands on top of the desk. "Reading to someone isn't as easy as it sounds," she said. "I tried it with Giggles, and even though I tried to keep my voice animated, I'm afraid I failed. And, frankly I don't have the time. Maybe you can do better. Why don't you come and meet her now? Talk to her a little, read a little. If it goes well, then we'll discuss what times would be best for both of you."

A tryout Flaky thought. Why not? The worst that could happen was that she'd put Giggles Joy to sleep. Of course she wouldn't get the job then, but maybe that wouldn't be so bad after all.

This place gave her an uneasy feeling.

Mrs. Joy was already at the door. As Flaky stood up, a man came in. Dressed in a dark business suit, he looked about the same age as Mrs. Joy. he also looked s if he had a lot on his mind.

"Honey, I need..." The man stopped talking when he saw Flaky.

"This is Flaky Quills," his wife said. "She answered the advert in the newspaper.

"Oh? Good." Mr Joy stuck out his hand and Flaky shook it. She thought he'd say something about the job, but instead he turned to his wife. "I need to talk to you as soon as you finish in here" he said. "It's important."

"Of course." Mrs. Joy smiled. This time, Flaky noticed, it looked much more genuine.

"Okay, fine." With another quick glance at Flaky, Mr. Joy left, his footsteps echoing down the polished wood floor of the hallway.

Mrs. Joy looked at her watch. "This way please."

Flaky followed her down the hallway again, towards the back of the house. When they reached the large wooden doors. Mrs. Joy stopped. "I should tell you," she said. "Giggles doesn't speak. The doctors aren't sure of the cause." She opened the door and stood aside for Flaky to go in.

The room was big. And even on a grey day it should have been filled with light. Four windows at the back reached almost from floor to ceiling and looked out on the stone terrace. There were three more tall windows on the far side.

But in spite of the windows, it was dark. Maybe it was the heavy bookcases lining two of the walls. Or the dark wood-and-leather furniture, or the stone cold fireplace.

It should have been a beautiful room, full of warmth. But all Flaky could think was the feeling she'd had when she first saw the house- like she was looking at a prison.

Now, she was looking at the prisoner: a girl her own age, sitting in a wheelchair in the middle of a cold, dark room.


	2. Chapter 2

**AN- Well here is the next chapter, I hope you all enjoy! I hope that it's alright as I'm getting my mock exam results soon, so obviously I'm stressing a little!**

 **HTFan- Oh God... now I have to make sure that this story meets your high expectations... I do hope it does. Anyway, there will be a lot of Giggles in this chapter.**

 **StariChanx- Well more is on the way!**

Chapter 2

Flaky knew that she was staring, but she couldn't look away.

One hand in her lap, the other on the arm of the chair, the girl looked back out of pink eyes. She was dressed in a pink dressing gown, her medium length pink hair slightly curled. There was a fading bruise on one cheek, and a dark scab running through her eyebrow and up to her hairline. The part of her neck that Flaky could see had a thin red line on it that looked painful. But even trapped in a wheelchair and unable to move, she was the brightest thing in the room.

"Giggles this is Flaky Quills," Mrs. Joy said, striding into the room and over to the wheelchair. "She's come to read to you. That'll be nice, won't it?"

Her voice had changed. she was talking in a false, bright, singsong tone that grated on Flaky's nerves, as if Giggles were a three year old.

Standing behind the wheelchair now, Mrs. Joy guested to Flaky. "Come say hello."

Flaky moved further into the room and stopped a couple of feet from the wheelchair. "Hi Giggles," she said with a smile. "Your mum told me that you like to read. I've never read like this before, so I hope I'm okay at it. Anyway, what do you like...?" Flaky stopped, blushing. Hadn't Mrs. Joy said that Giggles couldn't talk? Or didn't talk? Flaky felt incredibly stupid for starting off with a question.

Flaky glanced at Mrs. Joy. "Don't worry about it, just keep talking. Get acquainted."

Taking a breath, Flaky smiled at Giggles again. "Well I'm seventeen," she said. "And I'm new in town. My mum and dad are wanting to open an office here. They are currently on holiday hiking, they'll be back some time tomorrow."

Flaky stopped. Had Giggles' eyes changed? Widened? Or darkened? Was she bored already?

Mrs. Joy cleared her throat. "Why don't you find a book?" she suggested. Her voice was losing its brightness- she was certainly bored.

"Right. Good idea." Flaky walked over to a wall of books and started scanning the titles. Then she saw a row of leather-bound classics. Their titles were stamped in gold on the books spines. One of the books was Charlotte Bronte's _Jane Eyre_.

"Hey!" she said, pulling it out. "I read this last year. Well, I had to read it. For school. But I really liked it."

Giggles' eyes moved over the gold-stamped words on the book Flaky held up.

"Quite a coincidence," Mrs. Joy said. "Giggles was reading that book shortly before her accident."

"Really?" Flaky looked at Giggles. "Did you like it?"

Giggles raised her gaze to Flaky's face.

"I don't remember her saying anything about it." Mrs. Joy looked at her watch again. Just as she did, the door opened and Mr. Joy walked in.

Giggles glance shifted to her father's face. Flaky thought her eyes changed again, as if a shadow moved across them... a plea of some kind.

"Hey, honey." Mr. Joy walked over to the wheelchair and dropped a kiss onto his daughter's head. Then he turned. "Are you just about finished? I've got a plane to catch and we need to go over some things."

"Mrs. Joy, why don't I go ahead and start reading while you're with Mr. Joy?" Flaky said quickly. It would be easier to do it alone anyway.

"Yes, that's a good idea," Mrs. Joy said, "you get started and I'll be back in a few minutes."

Mr. Joy kissed Giggles' head again. "See you in a couple of days honey," he said. Then he strode out the door with Mrs. Joy behind him.

When the door shut, Flaky held the book in front of Giggles again. "You sure this is okay?" she asked. Flaky didn't expect an answer, but thought that she should ask anyway.

Flaky grabbed a stool and dragged it to the wheelchair. The chair was angled so that Giggles could look out the tall windows at the back of the room. The black and white cat was back on the wall, Flaky noticed. She pulled the stool in front of the chair and sat, her back to the windows. A dark red ribbon was sewn into the binding as a bookmark. Flaky assumed this was where Giggles had been before the accident. She opened the book to the ribbon and scanned the page. "Oh, this is where Jane saves Mr. Rochester from being burned in his bed." She flipped back a couple of pages. "Right, first she hears somebody outside her door in the middle of the night." Flaky looked up. "I'll start here."

Giggles kept staring straight ahead.

Flaky cleared her throat and took a breath.

 _I tried again to sleep; but my heart beat anxiously: my inward tranquility was broken. The clock, far down the hall, struck two. Just then, it seemed my chamber door was touched; as if fingers had swept the panels in a groping way along the dark gallery outside. I said 'who is there?' Nothing answered. I was chilled with fear._

Flaky paused and looked up from the book. Giggles' eyes had narrowed, as if she were listening closely. Flaky hoped it was that, and not that Giggles was getting sleepy already. She went on reading.

 _All at once, I remembered that it might be Pilot: who, when the kitchen-door chanced to be left open, not unfrequently found his way up to the freshold of Mr. Rochester's chamber._

Flaky paused again. "Pilot's the dog," she said. "Just in case you forgot." She started to read again, then shifted around on the stool. "Sorry," she said. "I can't seem to get comfortable." As she settled down, she realised what she must have sounded like. She couldn't get comfortable? But she felt she understood what Giggles must be feeling. Trapped. She felt trapped herself. In Happy Tree Town.

Flustered and embarrassed, Flaky picked up the book. Just read, she told herself.

After a few more lines. Flaky stopped worrying about how she sounded, or whether she was reading too fast, or not fast enough. It was an exciting part of the book, and she got caught up in the way she had when she'd first read it.

 _I was surprised at the circumstance: but still more was I amazed to perceive the air quite dim, as if filled with smoke; and while looking to the right hand and left, I became further aware of a strong smell of burning._

Flaky thought she heard Giggles breathe in sharply. But when she looked up quickly, Giggles was still. She went on reading about Jane Eyre seeing the smoke coming from Mr. Rochester's room; running in to find his bed burning; dousing it with water from his pitcher and bowl. A drenched Rochester finally wakes up yelling about a flood.

 _'In the name of all the elves in Christendom, is that Jane Eyre?' he demanded. 'What have you done with me, witch, sorceress? Who is in the room besides you? Have you plotted to drown me?'_

 _'I'll fetch you a candle, sir; and, in Heaven's name, get up. Somebody has plotted something: you cannot too soon find out who and what it is.'_

Flaky stopped. A movement had caught her eye. Somewhere during the last two or three lines, Giggles had lifted the hand that was resting on the wheelchair; lifted it and brought it down on the padded arm.

Giggles' eyes were still narrowed. Behind the thick lashes, Flaky could see that they were glittering.

Flaky almost said 'I thought you were paralysed.' But she caught herself in time. She hardly knew anything about paralysis, and Mrs. Joy hadn't told her any details. But Giggles couldn't be totally paralysed. Obviously Giggles could move a little.

Flaky couldn't imagine being like this, with some stranger staring at her. I'm staring at her, she realised with a blush.

Ducking her head, Flaky found her place again.

 _'I'll fetch you a candle, sir; and, in Heaven's name, get up. Somebody has plotted something: you cannot too soon find out who and what it is.'_

Taking a breath, Flaky started to go on. But Giggles stopped her again, with the same movement of her hand- lifting it slightly from the wrist, then dropping it on the arm of the wheelchair.

"I'm... I'm sorry," Flaky said. "Are you getting tired?"

Giggles remained still.

"I'm not sure what to do," Flaky said, miserably. She thought she ought to so something. She marked her place with the red ribbon and closed the book. She gazed at Giggles, and ached for help.

"Water," a voice said.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN- Well, here is another chapter, I hope that you all enjoy!**

 **HTFan- Well get ready to meet another character in this chapter, and get a further look into Giggles' situation. And thank you so much for your kind words, you really know how to boost somebodies confidence!**

Chapter 3

"Water."

Flaky spun around, looking at the back of Giggles' wheelchair. "Did you..."

"Try the water," the voice said. And this time Flaky recognised it. It belonged to Mrs. Joy, who wasn't in the room.

As if she could see Flaky's confusion and thought it was amusing, Mrs. Joy chuckled. "I'm talking over a tanoy," she said. "I heard you, and I can see you too."

"See me?"

"Didn't I tell you? There are cameras in several rooms, so we can keep an eye on Giggles," Mrs. Joy explained. "Not that she's ever alone for long. We have two cameras in the library because it's so big. One at each end of the room. See them?"

Flaky saw them now, one was on the far wall; one above the tall windows at the back. She immediately tried to remember if she had done anything embarrassing. Nice of her to warn me, she thought. Instead of watching soaps on the TV, Mrs. Joy had been watching her.

She stared at the camera on the far wall. "You said something about water?"

"Yes. There's a jug and glasses on a table on the far side of the room. Try giving her some water. What upset you by the way?"

Two cameras and she had to ask? "Didn't you see?"

"I don't always watch the monitor. What happened?"

"She moved her hand," Flaky said, hating to talk about Giggles as if she wasn't there.

"Oh?" There was a pause. "Yes, I think I've seen that before. She does have some movement, mostly in her legs, though she can't walk yet." Mrs. Joy changed the subject quickly. "Give her some water, then keep reading for awhile."

When the disembodied voice didn't say anything more, Flaky figured that she was finished. She poured some water for herself, gulped it down, and poured some more into a second glass. There were several straws on the tray. She bent one, stuck it in the glass, and crossed over the room to Giggles.

Knowing she was being watched made Flaky nervous and awkward. She wondered what Giggles thought about being on camera all the time. It must be awful for her... almost inhuman.

In front of the wheelchair again, Flaky smiled and raised her eyebrows. "I hope this is what you wanted," she said. She held the straw to Giggles' lips, then looked away. She didn't know how Giggles felt, but she certainly wouldn't want anyone watching her drink.

When Giggles was finished, Flaky set the glass on a nearby table. As she picked up _Jane Eyre_ , she saw that the gardener was up on the terrace, sweeping away damp leaves with a big broom. The black and white cat was hunkered down and watching, its tail flicking back and forth.

Suddenly the cat pounced at the leaves and then wrestled the broom. The gardener leaned on the broom handle and watched the cat for a second, smiling. Then he glanced towards the tall windows. When he saw the two girls inside, his smiled widened.

He bowed low, like an actor in an old fashioned play. Then he shouldered the broom and turned away.

Flaky smiled and looked at Giggles, half expecting hr to be smiling too. But Giggles face was still. Only her eyes moved, following the gardener as he ran lightly down the stone steps and out of sight.

"He's cute isn't he?" Flaky asked.

Giggles' eyes snapped back to her, and for some reason, Flaky suddenly remembered the cameras.

"Okay, back to the nineteenth century." She picked up the book and found her place. She was eager to finish reading and get away form Giggles, and Mrs. Joy, and the creepy house.

"Okay, Jane just told Mr. Rochester that somebody's out to get him. That's pretty obvious, but he... well, never mind, I'll just read."

Flaky read for another fifteen minutes, through Jane's waiting all the next day, hoping to see Mr. Rochester again, and the suddenly learning that he was gone.

"Jane's got it bad, doesn't she?" Flaky said to Giggles. She was trying hard to speak to Giggles as normally as possible. "Jane's really falling for Rochester and now she learns he's gone to stay at an estate and the owner has two daughter's, one beautiful, one gorgeous." Flaky scanned what was coming nest and laughed. "Then she makes herself even more miserable by asking exactly what the gorgeous one looks like. Listen to this."

 _" 'You saw her, you say, Mrs. Fairfax: What was she like?' "_

Flaky read the Rochester housekeeper's description of a Christmas ball, and then went on...

 _" '... but Miss Ingram was certainly the queen.'_

 _'And what was she like?'_

 _'Tall, fine bust, sloping shoulders; long, graceful neck; olive complexion, dark and clear, noble features; eyes rather like Mr. Rochester's- large and black and as brilliant as her...' "_

Flaky suddenly stopped reading,

Giggles was lifting her hand again. Exactly the same way as before, up from the wrist, then down on the arm of the wheelchair. Before Flaky could ask if she wanted more water, Giggles repeated the motion.

Not wanting Mrs. Joy's voice to come blaring, Flaky quickly got up to get some fresh water.

The table with the jug was in front of the side windows. Flaky hadn't noticed before, but now she saw that these windows opened like doors onto a set of long steps. The steps led down to a side patch that sloped to a large drop. This wide gash in the earth ran the whole length of the house, all the way into the woods. she stood on tiptoe and craned her neck, but she couldn't see the bottom.

Back at the wheelchair, Flaky offered the water. Giggles didn't make any move to drink.

Maybe she was tried, Flaky thought. After all she'd been reading for close to half an hour.

Giggles' eyes shifted to the book, then back to Flaky's face.

Flaky set the glass down, picked up the book, and read three more pages, to the end of the chapter. When she finished, her mouth was bone dry. She got another drink for herself and was gulping it down when the door opened and Mrs. Joy came in.

She was followed by a woman in while nylon trousers and tunic that made Flaky think of the dentist.

"Giggles," Mrs. Joy said brightly, "Dr. Sniffles is here."

Dr. Sniffles smiled. "Ready to work on those legs Giggles?" he asked walking round to stand in front of the wheelchair.

When Giggles saw Dr. Sniffles, she closed her eyes. Physical therapy, Flaky thought.

"I know readings much nicer," Dr. Sniffles said, patting Giggles' knee. He stood up and went behind the chair. "Come on lets get to work. The sooner we do, the sooner it will be over."

As Dr. Sniffles pushed the chair towards Flaky, Flaky smiled. Giggles didn't. But her eyes were open now, wide and, until the chair was past Flaky, she kept staring into Flaky's eyes. What does she want? Flaky thought.

A couple of minutes later, Flaky was back in the office, working out the reading schedule. She'd been hired.

She wasn't sure she wanted the job. The place still gave her the shivers, and Giggles made her uncomfortable.

"Dr. Sniffles comes two mornings a week," Mrs. Joy said as she checked the calendar. "The other three days, Giggles goes to the hospital for water therapy and such. That's always early in the morning. She's back here by ten."

"The afternoons must be a drag for her, then." Flaky said.

"Yes. You're probably right."

What did Giggles do on those long afternoons? Sit in front of the TV? Listen to the radio? Cry?

Flaky decided to take the job. She could always quit. But Giggles was imprisoned here. It made Flaky ache for her. "Why don't I come around two?" she said.

"Fine." Mrs. Joy scribbled on her calendar and stood up. She smiled, but it was a cool smile like her voice. She walked Flaky to the back of the house and showed her out. "Tomorrow then, and thank you."

Flaky said good-bye and started down the path. It was dry now, and the sun was trying to break through the clouds. She felt hr mood lift as she headed for the car, as if she were escaping from something painful.

Poor Giggles.

At the end of the path, Flaky turned and looked back at the library windows. She half expected to see Giggles there, sitting in the wheelchair and staring out the dark forest beyond the lawn. She had a feeling that Giggles spent a lot of time in that room, staring. Doing nothing.

"I know what you're thinking," a voice behind her said. "You're thinking those vines need pulling down."

Flaky turned around. It was the gardener.

Flaky smiled. "What vines?"

He pointed towards the library. "The ones growing up the wall there, between the windows."

"I didn't even notice them," Flaky said.

"Yeah, that's the problem with them. One day there's just a shoot or two. Then you turn your back and they've got the house wrapped up. Vines are no good. For houses," he added with a grin. "So what were you thinking about?"

"Oh. About Giggles," Flaky said. "I just got hired to read to her."

"Hired?" He looked at the library again, then back at Flaky. "You're not a friend of hers?" he asked.

"No, I just moved to Happy Tree Town," Flaky said.

"I'm new here, too. Flippy," he said, holding his hand and smiling into her eyes.

"Flaky." She liked the way his hand felt. Rough, but warm. His smile was great. "If you're new, then I guess you don't know much about Giggles, either," she said. "Do you know what happened? Mrs. Joy just told me she had an accident."

Flippy's face changed. "She fell off the cliff," he answered brusquely. "I don't know how."

It was clear he didn't intend to sat any more.

"Oh." Flaky didn't know what else to say. Whatever Flippy did know about the accident he wasn't going to tell her.

"So what do you think of Mrs. Killjoy?"

"Not much," Flaky said bluntly. "She's cold. Like the house. Actually, when you came up, I was thinking maybe I could read to Giggles on the terrace sometime. If yo promise to not let the vines strangle us," she added.

"That's my job." Flippy frowned, and for a second, Flaky thought she'd insulted him somehow. But then he said, "I hope you can talk Joy into it. I opened one of those French windows the other day, it wasn't locked, to sweep away some of the pine needles and debris. Giggles was in the room alone. About five seconds later, Joy was out on the terrace giving me the third degree. Why had I opened the window? Did I want Giggles to catch a chill?" He shook his head. "Actually, I thought the fresh air might be good for her, but I didn't say so. I'm pretty sure Joy thought I was planning to rob the place. I still haven't figured out how she knew what I'd done."

"Cameras. They're all over," Flaky said. She told him what had happened when Giggles moved her hand, and described the camera setup. "I guess it's a good idea," she added. "But I wish Mrs. Joy had warned me."

He nodded still looking at the house. His mind was somewhere else again.

"Well." Flaky cleared her throat. "I'm going to go."

"What? Oh." His eyes snapped back to her. "Okay. I'll probably see you again." He reached out and pulled a pine needle from Flaky's hair. He was smiling once more. "I'm here a lot," he said. Then he turned and headed across the grass.

Flaky watched him for a few seconds. Why did he change like that? Tense and almost angry one second. Smiling and flirting the next. A little scary. But strangely attractive. She liked the way he moved. Loose-limbed, but not gangly.

Mrs. Joy probably couldn't stand him.

Back in her car, Flaky rolled down the window and pulled round Flippy's truck. her stomach growled and she realised that she was starving. Maybe she'd stop and get a cheeseburger. And a milkshake. Or pizza.

Thinking about food, she drove a little faster down the long curving drive towards the stone pillars at the entrance. Then she saw a car turn in.

It was the same red car Flaky had seen earlier.

It was coming right at her.

Flaky slammed her hand against the horn.

If this was a game, she didn't want to play.

But the red car kept coming.

And there was nowhere for her to turn.


	4. Chapter 4

**AN- Well hello again, I think that it's about time I uploaded another chapter!**

 **HTFan- Thank you so much! And you can climb back onto the cliff now, as the mysterious driver will now be revealed, and you will meet somebody else as well!**

* * *

Chapter 4

Flaky jammed on the brake. Her car swerved. Tightening both hands on the wheel, she fought to control it.

With a shriek of its tires, the red car lurched to a halt. Flaky's car spun around and stopped.

Flaky was out of her car first. "That's the second time!" she yelled, slamming the door hard enough to rock the car. Furious, she stamped over and stood glaring at the driver as he scrambled out of his car.

He was about her age, wearing a loose yellow T-shirt. His hair was blonde and his eyes were hidden behind sunglasses.

He was talking fast.

"Hey, I'm sorry! I don't know what happened! I mean, I look away for just a second to keep something from falling off the front seat and the next thing I know, my whole short life's flashing right in front of my eyes!" The words spilled out one on top of the other. With jerky rapid gestures, he pushed the glasses on top of his head. "I'm sorry," he said again. "Really it was my fault. You okay?"

"That's the second time you've almost crashed into me!"

The young man peered over Flaky's shoulders at the car then snapped his fingers. "The gate! Right? About an hour ago, right?"

Flaky was still shaken and angry. But what good did it do to be angry at such an obvious lunatic?

"Forget it," she said, turning back to her car. "Just watch where you're going and try driving under eighty, okay?"

"Wait a sec, you gotta let me explain," he said. "I mean, I know it's not an excuse, but... wait, I'll be right back!" He dashed over to his car, reached inside and pulled out a bunch of yellow flowers wrapped in flimsy pink paper. "These were about to fall of the front seat. And the floor's pretty messy and I didn't want them to get messed up. So I looked over when I grabbed for them and... there you were!"

Flaky believed him, but it didn't make her any less forgiving. "What about before?" she asked. "When you almost pushed me off the cliff?"

"Oh. Well, I was mad." He held his hand up. "I know I know, never take your anger out behind the wheel of a car... here." He pulled a flower out of the bunch and held it out to Flaky.

Flaky shook her head.

"Oh, come on. Take it," he said. "It's already out; I'll just break the stem if I try to get it back in."

"Okay." Flaky took the flower. "But I've already memorised your registration plate, so watch out."

"Now you sound like Mrs. Joy."

Flaky grimaced. "Thanks a lot!"

He grinned. "You mean you don't like Sweet Joy?"

"I guess I shouldn't complain about her, I hardly know her. Besides, she just hired me."

"Hired you? What for?"

"To read to Giggles," Flaky said. "Do you know her?"

He looked towards the house. He lowered his dark sun glasses over his eyes, and, for a moment, was still. "Yeah, I know Giggles," he said at last. "We've been going out for almost a year."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I mean..." Flaky broke of and looked at the flower. "Are they for her?"

"Yeah, Mrs. Joy wouldn't let me hand around before, that's why I was mad. The physical therapy's kind of hard on Giggles. So I took off to get her something to cheer her up." He took his eyes off the house and looked at Flaky. "I'm Cuddles by the way."

"Flaky."

"So. You're going to read to Giggles? That's good." Cuddles said. "I tried it a couple of times, but I wasn't great at it. And then Giggles started blinking her eyes, and Hawk-eye Joy decided she was getting upset."

"Giggles moved her hand a few times when I was reading and Mrs. Joy saw it on the cameras," Flaky said. "She told me to get dome water."

"She moved her hand?" Cuddles looked surprised. "I knew she could mover her legs a little, but not her hand. Huh... So, is that what she wanted, water?"

"I'm not sure. She drank some the first time, but not the second," Flaky said. "I should have just asked her. Next time, I will."

"You mean like, blink twice for yes and once for no?" he asked.

"Sure why not?" Flaky said. "Don't you do that?"

"I've tried but..." Cuddles broke off and looked over Flaky's shoulder.

There was a low rumbling noise, and as Flaky turned to look, she saw Flippy's gardening truck lumbering towards them. Flippy stuck his head out the window as the truck rolled to a stop. "Car trouble?" he called out.

Flaky smiled and shook her head.

"What could you fix it with anyway, a rake?" Cuddles snapped.

Surprised, Flaky glanced back at him, but all she saw was his back. Cuddles was already walking ot his car. He tossed the flowers onto the passenger seat, got in, jerked the car into gear, and sped backwards down the drive towards the entrance.

Flaky couldn't see the red car anymore, but she could hear it. Every few seconds Cuddles revved the engine. It was a loud impatient sound.

She looked back at Flippy. Flippy shrugged. "He's definitely got an attitude," he said.

"I guess he's worried... about Giggles."

Flippy looked towards the end of the drive as Cuddles revved the engine again. "Yeah," he said.

But he didn't sound as if he believed it.

* * *

Back in town, Flaky went to the diner for a burger. Petunia was behind the counter, cleaning the top.

Petunia was Flaky's age, and lived across the street. She talked a lot and laughed a lot. Flaky liked her, which was good, since she was the only person Flaky really knew so far.

"Flaky!" Petunia said as Flaky slid onto a stool at the counter. "Listen, I spoke to the boss about a full time job for you, but he's looking for somebody full time." She rolled her eyes.

"Well thanks for asking anyway," Flaky said. "I guess I'll keep babysitting. And I got another part time job this morning."

"Great! What is it?"

"Reading to Giggles Joy."

"You're kidding." Petunia's eyes widened. "Isn't she still in hospital?"

Flaky shook her head. "She's at home, in a wheelchair."

Petunia leaned her elbows on the counter. "Does she look really awful?"

"No," Flaky said. "I mean she's got some bruises and she can't move much, or talk. But she doesn't look gruesome or anything. She's pretty."

Petunia shuddered. "Doesn't it make you feel kind of weird? Reading to her, I mean. I don't think I could stand it."

"It's the house I can't stand," Flaky said. "And her mother. She's like an iceberg. I feel sorry for Giggles, being stuck in that place. You know her, don't you?"

"Sure." Petunia got busy cleaning again. "Before I got this stupid job I hung out with that group. She's bubbly, and much smarter than she looks."

"What happened to her?" Flaky asked. "Was she climbing rocks or something? No, wait," she said. "First, I'll have a cheeseburger and a chocolate shake."

Petunia gave her order to the cook, then poured coffee for a man who came in and sat at the other end of the counter. She made the shake, and by that time, the cheeseburger was ready.

"Now," Flaky said, whilst squeezing the bottle of ketchup. "What happened to Giggles? Her mother didn't even bother to tell me that she was our own age. I went there expecting someone much, much older. She picked up the burger and took a big bite.

"Nobody knows exactly what Giggles was doing," Petunia said, wiping away at the counter again. "It happened at night. In May, just before school was out."

"What was she doing out on those cliffs at night?"

Petunia shook her head. "Maybe she went for a walk or something. Or maybe she was sleepwalking. Anyway, the gardener found her."

"The gardener?" Flaky said. "You mean Flippy?"

"I think that's his name. The one who's kind of new here?"

Flaky sipped her shake and nodded. "I spoke to him this morning. But he didn't tell me that he was the one who found Giggles." She wondered why.

"He probably wants to forget it," Petunia said shuddering again. "It must have been awfully gruesome. Her boyfriend was really broken up about it."

"Cuddles? I met him this morning too," Flaky said. She told Petunia about the two near collisions with him.

"But he was bringing Giggles flowers, so it was hard to stay mad at him."

"That definitely sounds like him. He was crazy about Giggles." Petunia looked towards the door of the diner, "Is, I mean."

Flaky spun on her stool and saw a group had just come in. The one in front was Cuddles, still wearing his sunglasses. he was talking over his shoulder to one of the others, and Flaky couldn't' make out what he was saying. But the sound of his voice was the same, tense and rapid, as if he couldn't get the words out fast enough.

Watching him, Petunia murmured, "What happened to Giggles must have really changed him."

"What do you mean?"

"I guess it made Cuddles go a little crazy himself."


	5. Chapter 5

**AN- Well hello there, it's me once again! Now get ready for some new characters!**

 **Better a Freak Than A Fake- I'd read a little more first before betting on something as precious as a hat! Though I do like your confidence. And yes, she didn't get the job on purpose because if Flaky could get the job at the diner, then she wouldn't have to read to Giggles anymore. And we can't have that can we?**

 **HTFan- Well Cuddles will play a major part in the story, I would keep my eye on him.**

 **Selfsame- Welcome back! I hope that this story makes your return worth it. And thanks so much for the kind words. Don't worry, all will eventually be revealed.**

* * *

Chapter 5

Still talking, Cuddles looked around. When he saw Flaky, he smiled quickly and headed towards her.

"Hey, it's the reader!" he said, pushing the sunglasses up on his head as he walked. "And Petunia!"

"Hi, Cuddles," Petunia said. But Cuddles was already talking to the group that had followed him in.

"Toothy, Lammy and Mime," he said, pointing them out as he said their names, "this is the girl I was telling you about. Flaky. She's the one Sweet Joy hired to read to Giggles. Flaky these are some friends of mine and Giggles's." He started pointing them out again. "Toothy..."

"You already did that, Cuddles," the guy called Toothy said.

Holding Toothy's hand Lammy looked her up and down. "You're new here aren't you?" she asked.

"She lives across the street from me," Petunia said. "She'll go to our school."

"Well, welcome to the class," Toothy said with a slow smile. His teeth were very white, and the top front ones much larger than the rest. "It'll be nice to have somebody new around."

Mime grinned. Lammy rolled her eyes and said, "I thought we came here to eat."

"Food, right. That's exactly what we came in for," Cuddles said. He sat in the stool next to Flaky and ordered a burger.

Toothy sat down on the other side of Flaky, while Lammy and Mime took the stools round the bend in the counter.

Toothy managed to sit with his shoulders touching Flaky's. Catching the look in Lammy's eyes, Flaky leaned slightly away. These were the people that she would be going to school with, and she didn't want to make enemies if she didn't have to. She wasn't attracted to Toothy anyway. He was good-looking, but she didn't like the way he was flirting with her, not when it was so obvious that he and Lammy were a couple.

Toothy nudged Flaky slightly. "So, Flaky," he said, "Cuddles told us you were reading to Giggles?"

"That's right." Flaky poked her straw around in her milkshake. "I hope it'll help."

"Help?" Cuddles had been tapping his fingers on the counter to some beat in his head, but now he stopped. He narrowed his eyes at Flaky. "You think hearing a book'll help her walk and talk?" His voice was icy.

"Cuddles." Petunia murmured.

For a moment, Cuddles kept looking at Flaky. His eyes were sharp and angry. Then he seemed to give himself a mental shake. "Sorry," he said quickly. "This whole thing has kind of freaked me out."

Flaky didn't have a boyfriend. But she told herself that if she did had one, and if he'd fallen off a cliff and was paralysed, she'd be freaked too. "I didn't mean the reading would make her better," she said to Cuddles. "I just meant it might help distract her... take her mind of things."

"Sure it will," Toothy said smoothly. "What are you going to read?"

" _Jane Eyre._ "

"I thought you didn't want to bore her," Lammy said.

"She was already reading it," Flaky said. "If she doesn't like it. I'm sure she'll figure out a way to tell me."

"Oh, sure," Lammy said with a sneer. "In case you forgot, Giggles can't talk."

"Yeah, well, she's not a vegetable, you know," Flaky told her. "She can communicate."

"Oh, right, the hand thing!" Cuddles looked up from the counter. "Flaky said Giggles moved her hand this morning."

The others looked surprised. Why hadn't Giggles tried to communicate with them? What did they do when they visited her, sit in silence? "Did she like your flowers?" Flaky asked Cuddles.

"Yeah, I think so," he said. He seemed happier now. Not so tense. "She didn't move her hand or anything, but her eyes got real bright. She looked like she wanted to laugh." He smiled to himself, then at the others. "Remember her laugh?" he asked them.

The rest of the group nodded, thinking about a Giggles Joy that Flaky had never met. She felt like she was at a wake. Giggle's not dead, she wanted to tell them. She's alive, and she's still the same person.

Giggles was an outsider now, Flaky thought. She used to belong with these people. she used to fit in. Now she doesn't. Flaky knew how that felt.

When Petunia arrived with the food, the others changed the subject, they talked about summer jobs. They all had part-time jobs, except for Cuddles. He'd quit his when Giggles got hurt and he hadn't found another one. Flaky got the feeling that he didn't really want to.

Mime wasn't a talker, but his actions made up for it.

Cuddles ate fast, the way he seemed to do everything.

Toothy looked at Flaky- a lot.

Swiveling on his stool so he didn't have to turn his head to see her, Toothy propped one elbow on the counter and smiled his slow smile every time she said something. Flaky felt like she was on display and it was starting to bug her.

It was bugging Lammy, too. Flaky avoided looking at her, but she could feel Lammy watching her and she knew she was staring daggers.

Forget this, Flaky told herself. Just leave.

Folding her napkin, she put it on the empty plate and started to slide off the stool. Then she felt Toothy's arm on her shoulder.

"Hey," he said. "If you need a ride or anything, I've got my car outside." His voice was quiet, but not quiet enough.

Lifting her head Lammy glared at both of them.

"Hey, what's the matter Lammy?" Toothy sounded innocent. "I just asked Flaky if she wanted a ride."

His hand was still on her shoulder. Flaky shrugged it off and glance at Petunia, who rolled her eyes and went back to wiping the counter. Flaky picked up her bag. "Thanks, but I have a car," she said to Toothy.

"See," Toothy said to Lammy. "She said thanks. She's being polite, just like I was when I offered her a ride."

It was if he wanted to get a reaction from Lammy, Flaky thought. And it was working. Lammy's cheeks were flushed and her eyes snapping. But she still didn't say anything.

"Well, anyway, I guess you know how it feels now," Toothy said to Lammy. "You do remember what happened the last time somebody new came to town, don't you?"

Flaky was on her feet ready to go. But Toothy's words stopped her.

And so did the look on Lammy's face.

It was shocked. Frightened. Frozen like a mask.

Everyone was frozen. Everyone looked as shocked and as terrified as Lammy.

No one said a word.

It was like a stunned silence of people staring in horror at a ticking bomb. They wanted to run. But they couldn't move.

Flaky felt chilled.

What did these people want to run from?


	6. Chapter 6

**AN- Does anyone actually read these things? As, it's just me rambling on, there is no story here at all, just a small celebration of actually completing another chapter!**

 **Better a Freak Than A Fake- I wouldn't jump ahead with the pairings just yet! As for mime, I think he's just there, you know, not speaking but adding to the atmosphere in his own special way. You will find out why Toothy is hitting on Flaky very soon, and I think people pair Toothy with Lammy because it's a rather interesting paring to write about, especially with the fact that Toothy doesn't really think about his actions, which creates interesting events when Lammy is involved with them. And last of all, I'm not sure if we are going to see Splendid, I'll just have to see where this story takes me!**

 **Shikuki- Thanks you so much! Don't worry, here's an update!**

 **HTFan- Well, this chapter should give you an insight into what Flaky has gotten herself into.**

* * *

Chapter 6

Cuddles laughed suddenly, a little wildly. "Hey, Petunia, what's going on here?" he said. "I mean, we come in all friendly and cheerful; we eat, and then wham! Total personality change!"

As Cuddles talked, the rest of the group started to relax. Toothy walked over to Lammy and put his arm over her shoulder. Lammy sighed, then half frowned, half-smiled at him.

The frightened looks were gone. The stunned silence was over. Had she just imagined them? Flaky wondered.

But when the group left the diner, Lammy shot Flaky a look of such dislike that Flaky felt chilled all over again.

That look was definitely real.

Flaky knew she had an enemy.

* * *

She turned to Petunia, who had just finished work for the day. "Want a ride home?"

"Great," Petunia said. She pocketed her tips.

"Toothy is so cheap, he just left me a couple of coppers."

"His cheap and a jerk," Flaky said. "I couldn't believe the way he acted."

"Lammy'll get over it," Petunia told her. "She and Toothy fight all the time. Don't worry."

"I'm not worried about them, Petunia," Flaky said as they got into the car. "I just don't like her blaming me. Did you see the way she looked at me when she left?"

"Yeah, but she'll get over that too."

Flaky hoped so, but she didn't feel as sure as Petunia. "What was Toothy talking about anyway?" she asked, backing out of the parking space. "Remember, when he told Lammy that now she knew how it felt? And something about the last time somebody new come to town. Was he talking about Flippy?"

Petunia shook her head. "No, I'm pretty sure he meant Russell."

"Who's Russell?"

"He was backpacking round the country. He came to town... let's see, early in May, just before school was out for the summer. I can still see him, walking into the diner with that hook."

"Hook?"

"Yeah, like what you'd expect a pirate to have. Silver." Petunia laughed. "Anybody else would have looked really dumb with it but he completely pulled it off."

"Cute, huh?"

"Gorgeous."

The sun never made it out, and now the rain started. Flaky put on the windscreen wipers. "So?" she asked. "What happened?"

"Let's see. I'd just started working at the diner, after school until seven," Petunia said. "It was about half four, I guess, and a lot of kids were in there. The group you just met, plus Giggles," she added. "Lammy and Toothy were arguing about something and the others were ignoring them. Then the door opened and Russell walked in."

"And?"

"And all the girls started drooling."

Flaky laughed. "You make him sound unbelievable."

"Well, he was good-looking," Petunia said, "But it wasn't just that. Maybe it was because he was somebody new and different, you know? He could have been a creep, I guess. But not knowing him, it was easy to imagine he was special and exciting."

The rain was coming down harder now and Flaky set the wipers onto full speed.

"Where was I?" Petunia asked.

"Drooling."

"Right, and Lammy was the worst," Petunia said. "Russell took a booth across form theirs, and Lammy started talking to him, asking him questions about backpacking. Ha. The farthest Lammy's ever travelled is the end of her driveway."

"Toothy got jealous right?" Flaky said.

"Yeah. I think all the guys did, actually. Next to Russell, they probably felt about twelve," Petunia said.

"Did he try and make them feel that way?" Flaky asked. "I mean, did he flirt back?"

Petunia shook her head. "Not really. Oh, he liked the attention, you could tell. And he was friendly. But he was so smooth and sure of himself, he didn't have to flirt."

Flaky turned onto the street where she and Petunia lived. "So when Toothy was flirting with me, he was paying Lammy back for Russell, huh?"

"Yeah. Pretty juvenile, I guess," Petunia said. "But anyway, I don't think you have to worry about Lammy splitting your lip."

Startled, Flaky looked over at her. "Splitting my lip? Are you kidding?"

"About Lammy I am." Petunia grinned. "See. Russell was going to stay Thursday and Friday night and leave on Saturday. He asked about places to camp around here, and then he left. When i saw him Friday afternoon, his lip was puffy and there was a scab on it."

"Toothy punched him?"

"Well, Toothy never came out and admitted it," Petunia said. "But I think Mime was trying to tell me that Cuddles and Toothy followed Russell after he left the diner. I don't think Mime meant that they stalked him or anything," she added. "They were just being dumb and macho and they basically told him to take a hike. According to Mime, Russell just laughed at them. And Toothy was pretty mad about Lammy so he hit Russell."

So that's what happened the last time someone new came to town, Flaky thought.

It wasn't anything to brag about.

But it wasn't enough to make everyone freeze, the way they had in the diner.

Or had she imagined the moment?

No. It was real. Everyone had acted frightened.

But of what?

"Anyway," Petunia went on. "Russell didn't leave. I know, because I saw him on Friday." She sat up straighter. "And then I forgot all about him, because Saturday night was the day Flippy found Giggles and nobody was talking about anything else."

"Did Flippy ever tell you about finding her?" Flaky asked.

"He never tells me anything," Petunia said. "He says hi and stuff, he that's about it. Maybe he's shy, I don't know."

"He didn't seem shy to me," Flaky said. As she pulled into her driveway, she remembered the way Flippy pulled a leaf out from her hair. Definitely not shy, she thought.

But not totally open either.

He'd clammed up when she'd asked what happened to Giggles. He'd drifted into his own thoughts for a minute, as if Flaky wasn't even there.

"I don't think he's shy," Flaky said. "I think he's private. Cuddles doesn't like him." she added, and told Petunia about Cuddle's reaction on the driveway earlier. "You'd think he'd a least be grateful. I mean, if Flippy hadn't found Giggles, she might have died."

"Yeah, well, like I said, Cuddle's gone a little crazy since Giggles fell." Petunia took hold of the door handle. "But maybe he has good reason not to like Flippy."

"Like what?"

Petunia shrugged. "You said it, Flippy's private. Maybe he's hiding something. And maybe Cuddles knows what it is."

* * *

 _In her dream that night, Flaky was driving through a thick, swirling mass of fog that her headlights couldn't pierce. Somehow, she knew she was driving up the cliff road. She was afraid she'd miss a turn and plunge off the edge. The windows were closed, but the fog seeped in anyway. It drifted through the car and wrapped itself around her face until she couldn't see at all._

 _Suddenly, like magic, the fog was gone._

 _Flippy was standing there._

 _In one hand he held a sign the read 'Private'. In the other was a sliver hook. He waved the hook, urging Flaky to drive forward._

 _Straight ahead was the edge of the cliff._

 _Flippy smiled. His dark eyes glittered. Attractive. Dangerous. He waved the hook again._

 _And Flaky put her foot down on the accelerator._

* * *

As the car started to go over, she shot straight up in bed.

Gasping, Flaky put her hand to her chest.

Her heart was racing.

It was only a dream, she told herself. Forget it Flippy's not dangerous.

Flaky looked around. Her dog Smudge, was curled up near her feet, as usual. She reached down to pat him and realised that the room was so bright that she was squinting. For the first time in what felt to be weeks, the sun was out.

Nobody was home, she discovered when she went downstairs. A note on the fridge told her that her parents would be out all day.

Flaky let the dog into the back garden, ate some cereal, showered and then got dressed. She played with Smudge outside for a while. After lunch, Flaky got in her car and drove towards the cliff road to get to Giggles' house.

She thought the sun would have changed the look of the house somehow. Made it brighter or more welcoming. But it still seemed like a prison to her. If anything, the sun made it seem more foreboding.

The gardening truck was parked in the same place as the day before. Flaky got out and looked around. But except for the black and white cat dozing on the wall, the grounds were empty.

Suddenly the image from her dream came back.

Flippy, waving a silver hook.

Waving her over the cliff to her death.

She shook her head. She was letting this place upset her, that was all.

As Flaky headed up the walk, Mrs. Joy opened the door and waited for her.

"It's a great day isn't it?" Flaky said. "And it's really warm. I was thinking maybe I could read to Giggles on the terrace."

Mrs. Joy hesitated, then shook her head. "Not today. Maybe another time. Giggles is tried."

She didn't look tired, Flaky thought as she walked into the library. Giggles chair was facing the door this time, and she looked fine. The bruise on her cheek had faded some more, and her eyes were wide and bright. Someone had braided her hair.

"I'll leave you alone," Mrs. Joy said from the doorway. "If you need anything, the camera's are always on. All you have to do is speak up." She glanced at Giggles and pulled the door shut behind her.

Flaky pulled the stool across the room again, then turned Giggles' chair so it faced the windows. "You ought to be able to see your cat, and the sunshine out there," she said.

 _'Jane Eyre'_ was on the table where Flaky had left it. As Flaky picked it up she said, "By the way, I met some of your friends yesterday. Cuddles and Mime, Toothy and Lammy." She decided not to say what she thought of them. "And Petunia," she added. "I live across the street form her. Right, I guess I'll start."

Flaky sat down and started to suggest a signal for Giggles to use to communicate with her. Blinking for yes and no. But Giggles' eyes were already fastened on the book. What clearer signal could there be? Flaky started reading.

The next chapter was about the return of Mr. Rochester and his guests, including the beautiful and snotty Miss Ingram, who made nasty remarks about the governesses and looked at Jane as if she were a toad.

Flaky stopped reading and said, "Rochester's planning to marry this gem. No wonder Jane gets depressed. She's only the governess, and she's in love with him.

Giggles kept her eyes on the book, but Flaky thought she saw them crinkle at the comers.

Flaky grinned and went on reading as Jane talked about how she'd stopped seeing Rochester's bad points.

" _'that something which used to make me fear and shrink, as if I had been wandering amongst volcanic looking hills, and had suddenly felt the ground quiver, and seen it gape.'_ "

Flaky stopped. Giggles' hand had moved up, then down to the arm of the chair... again.

This time the movement was faster and stranger. It had to mean something. But what?

Flaky glanced at the camera, then said, "I hope that this doesn't seem silly to you, but maybe we could work out some kind of signal together. So when I ask you something, you can tell me yes or no." She glanced at the camera again. Maybe Mrs. Joy wasn't watching. Maybe she was on the phone and not listening. "Why don't you blink twice for yes and once for no," Flaky said, "Do you want some water?"

Giggles' eyes stayed on the book. She didn't blink.

Flaky sat back. She was sure Giggles understood. Maybe she just didn't wan to communicate right now. "I'll just keep reading," she said, and found her place.

The next time Giggles moved her hand, Flaky was reading Jane's description of a new arrival at Thornfield Hall.

" _'the driver rang the doorbell, and a gentleman alighted, attired in travelling garb; but it was not Mr. Rochester; it was a tall, fashionable-looking man, a stranger.'_ "

Two pages later, Giggles lifted her hand a third time, as Flaky read,

" _I was now able to concentrate my attention on the group by the fire and I presently gathered that the newcomer was called Mr. Mason.'_ "

Flaky stopped. She didn't know what it meant. She knew that Giggles must have a reason for doing this. But when she suggested a signal, all Giggles did was stare at the book.

All Giggles did was stare at the book, Flaky thought. Just like she was doing now.

Flaky looked down at the last words she'd read, then back at Giggles.

A message. Giggles is using the book to try and tell me something.

And as if Giggles had red her mind, she slowly raised her eyes from the book to Flaky's face. Then she blinked.

Twice for yes.


	7. Chapter 7

**AN- Why hello there. I'm sorry that this chapter has taken so long, but I have exams coming up, so I have to make them my priority. So expect later chapters to take a little longer.**

 **Though, to make up for it, this is the longest chapter so far!**

 **Better a Freak Thank A Fake- Yeah, I wanted to try something different with the pairings, and I think that it works. Lets hope that Flaky can put more pieces together.**

 **HTFan- Don't bother apologising, as I always say, better late than never! I hope that this chapter adds some more mystery!**

 **Guest- Well at least someone gets it! But, honestly, I'm so glad that you are enjoying the story.**

* * *

Chapter 7

"A message?" Cuddles shoved his dark glasses up and gave Flaky a doubtful look. "Don't you think there are easier ways of doing that, even for somebody like Giggles?"

The two of them, along with Toothy and Lammy, were in the car park near the garages. Flaky hadn't had a chance to test her theory that Giggle was trying to tell her something. Just as she'd been about to. Mrs. Joy had come into the library, told her that she'd been reading an hour and that she could go.

But Flaky was almost positive she was right. And when she'd seen Cuddles and the others roll up the drive in Cuddles' red car, she'd waited to tell them. She was sure Cuddles, at least, would be as excited as she was. Instead, he looked skeptical.

"It's probably just a coincidence," he said.

"I don't think so," Flaky said. "I mean, the only time she moves her hand is when I'm reading something."

"Maybe she's bored. Maybe the message is stop." Lammy said coldly. "Did you ever think of that?"

"No. Lammy," Flaky said. "I'm sure you'd be bored, but Giggles certainly isn't."

Lammy shot her a dirty look. Flaky ignored it and turned to Cuddles.

Cuddles was staring at her. "I've seen Giggles every day since she came home," he said. "Sometimes two or three times a day. I talk to her, I tell jokes, I sing, I do everything but stand on my head. No, wait, I think I did stand on my head once." He took a step towards Flaky. "Giggles and I have been together for a long time. If she had something to say, she'd say it to me."

"But..."

"And no offence, Flaky," Cuddles went on, "but I don't think you ought to mess around and play guessing games with Giggles."

Cuddles message was perfectly clear.

Back off.

But why? Flaky wondered. Was he just being protective?

Flaky didn't know. She thought Cuddles was wrong about Giggles, she didn't need protecting, she didn't need someone to stand on his head. She needed someone to listen. But Flaky decided not to argue. "Is that another present?" she asked, pointing to a small white box he was carrying.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," he said. "It's a necklace, a gold chain with a heart."

Lammy took the box and opened it. "Hey, it's just like the one you gave her last year, when you started going out," she said. "What happened to that one anyway?"

Cuddles didn't answer. He was staring towards the end of the yard.

Flippy was there. He was moving along the edge, carrying a pair of long bladed clippers.

"I don't know what happened to it," Cuddles said. He kept his eyes on Flippy. "When I gave it to Giggles, she said she'd never take it off. And she didn't she wore it all the time."

Remembering the thin red line around Giggles' neck, Flaky shivered. The necklace must have caught on something when she fell, slicing into the skin until the chain finally broke.

"Hey, what am I doing?" Cuddles said suddenly. "My girl's waiting. See you, Flaky. And be careful when you leave, that drives pretty narrow." Laughing, he started up the walk towards the house.

Lammy followed after Cuddles, but Toothy didn't move. He was watching Flaky. Not again, she thought with a sigh. "Aren't you going to see Giggles?" she asked.

"In a second, he said. "I wanted to talk to you first."

Flaky shifted her weight and looked at her watch. Maybe he'd take the hint.

"It won't take long." Toothy moved closer to her. "It's about yesterday, at the diner," he said quietly. "I wanted to apologise. I know I embarrassed you, but i wasn't trying to." He smiled his slow, easy smile. "I hope you wont hold it against me."

This guy was really something, Flaky thought. He wasn't trying to embarrass her, just his girlfriend. The girlfriend who was standing on the walk right this minute, watching them together and ready to explode.

Flaky had had enough. "Look, Toothy," she said. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but just leave me out of it, okay? And if you really want to apologise to somebody, try Lammy."

Flaky stepped around him and walked towards her car, hoping he wouldn't follow. When she looked back, Toothy was ambling up the walk. Lammy hadn't waited for him, though. She was just going inside, and as Flaky watched, she slammed the door in Toothy's face.

But not before she gave Flaky another acid look.

Forget about her, she told herself. She should be mad at her boyfriend, not me.

But she could still feel the hatred in that look.

Flippy walked up to her.

Flaky asked, "So are you finished for the day? I thought you'd be busy pulling down those killer vines."

"I was going to, but Mrs. Joy told me to put it off. She said something about not disturbing Giggles." Flippy's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the terrace. "I'm pretty sure that wasn't the real reason though," he said under his breath.

He was tense again. Angry. "What do you mean?" Flaky asked.

"I mean she wants me to stay away from..." Flippy stopped. "Hey, never mind that," he said quickly. "Since we're both through for the day, how about getting something to eat?"

He moved closer, carrying the sharp-bladed clippers in one hand.

He smiled, and his dark green eyes sparkled.

Suddenly, Flaky remembered what she'd felt in her dream.

A sense of excitement.

And of danger.

"Flaky?"

She blinked.

Flippy was staring at her curiously.

Flaky took a deep breath. "Sure," she said. "I'd love to get something to eat."

Flippy's smile widened.

Flaky felt as if she were right at the edge of the cliff.

* * *

Ten minutes later, she was sitting at a booth in the diner, talking to Petunia and waiting for Flippy, who'd gone home to have a shower.

"I happen to know that you're the first girl Flippy's asked out since he moved here, Flaky." Petunia said excitedly. She glanced over her shoulders to check if there were any more customers. "How did you manage to get a date with him?"

"I didn't manage it," Flaky said. "He just asked me if I wanted to get something to eat. Maybe I looked hungry," she added dryly.

"Well, whatever," Petunia said. "But listen, if you learn any secrets, you have to promise to tell me."

"Secrets?"

"Flippy's secrets," Petunia said. "He's Mr. Mysterious remember?" She looked over as the door opened. "Here he is!" she hissed.

As Petunia sped back behind the counter, she stopped and spoke to Flippy, then waved frantically to where Flaky was sitting.

"Hi," Flippy said, sliding into the booth across from Flaky. "Petunia told me not to let you leave until you talk to her. She said it was really important."

She wants to know everything about Flippy, Flaky thought, frowning. She liked Petunia, but she was awfully nosy. No way would Flaky tell any of Flippy's secrets.

She wished Petunia hadn't even mentioned the word. Was it some secret that made Flippy so exciting... and scary?

"Hey, is something wrong?" Flippy asked.

Flaky shook her head. "Nothing except I'm hungry," she said. "Let's eat."

When the food came, they talked about the usual things. Where they'd moved from. What they liked and didn't like. Where they wanted to go to college. There was nothing scary or exciting about any of it, and Flaky started to relax.

Flippy was crazy about military history.

"Not horticulture?" Flaky asked.

Flippy laughed. "I don't think so, but it's a good job, actually. I was lucky to get it. And I like being outside."

"Especially today, I bet," Flaky said. "I tried to talk Mrs. Joy into letting me read to Giggles on the terrace, but she didn't like the idea. She said Giggles wad tired."

"Was she?"

"I didn't think so. Anyway, being on the terrace wouldn't exactly wear her out." Flaky drank some milkshake. "I know Giggles' friends come visit her," she said. "But I get the feeling everybody treats Giggles like she's... not really there. Or not really part of things. And I know how that feels." She smiled at him. "I guess you do too right?" Being new here."

Flippy nodded. "But it doesn't really bother me."

"Well it bothers me," Flaky said. "And I bet it bothers Giggles too. I think she's trying to tell me something. Maybe not about that, but..."

"Trying to tell you something?" Flippy broke in. He looked startled. "You mean, she tried to talk?"

Flaky shook her head then explained what had happened when she was reading 'Jane Eyre'. "She tapped the chair yesterday, too," she said. "Mrs. Joy told me to give her some water. And I guess I was too busy worrying about myself, you know, how I sounded and whether I was being watched on the monitor, to pay any attention." She leaned her elbows on the table. "But today, i didn't do that. I tried to get Giggles to work out some kind of signal with me, blinking for yes and no."

Flippy was leaning on the table too. He looked interested. Very interested. "Did it work?"

"I didn't think so," Flaky said. "Then I got the idea that she was trying to use the book to say something. Because she tapped when I was saying certain things. And just when I thought that, she blinked, twice." She sat back. "But then Mrs. Joy came in, so I didn't get the chance to ask Giggles if I was right. I will tomorrow though."

"When did she tap the chair?" Flippy asked. "I mean, what words?"

"I don't know if it's a word or a sentence, or a paragraph, or what," Flaky said. "I don't remember what I was reading every time she did it either. I'll have to go back and check int he book."

Flippy stared at her for a moment. Finally, he said, "Let me know if you figure it out, will you? I'd like to know what Giggles has to say."

"Sure. Did you know her before she fell?"

He shook his head. "I'd seen her at school and I'd just started working on the grounds at her house," he said. "I think we'd said hi a couple of times. Why?"

"I just wondered, that's all." Flaky hesitated. "Petunia told me you found her," she said.

He stared at her again, now he looked angry. "And you want the gory details?"

"No!" Flaky said. What was the matter with him? "I just... forget it. Forget I even mentioned it."

"No, that's okay, Flaky. Sorry. I didn't mean to snap at you." With a sigh, Flippy slumped back against the booth. "It was about eight in the morning," he said. "I was working on the far side of the house, where the cliff cuts in all the way back into the woods. It was windy the night before. There were branches all over."

He sounds so cold, Flaky thought. So remote. As if he's talking about something that didn't rally happen to him.

"I was cleaning up the branches when I saw the black and white cat climb up over the edge of the cliff. I don't know why I walked over and looked down, but I did. And I saw Giggles. She wasn't moving. I called out, but she didn't answer. I climbed a little way down, and I called out again. She mumbled something."

He stopped, as if he were listening to Giggles' voice, trying to understand what she'd said. "Then I realised I couldn't do anything by myself and I might fall, too. So I ran to the house and got help."

Flaky waited.

But Flippy's face closed up, the way it had yesterday.

There was more to the story. Flaky had no idea what. But she knew that there was more.

She also knew she wasn't going to find out from Flippy. He'd said all that he was going to say.

But he hadn't told her everything.

Maybe Petunia was right. Maybe Flippy did have a secret.

* * *

At home later, Flaky tried to put the thought of Flippy's secret out of her mind.

He's exciting, she told herself. He's different. You like being with him. That's all you need to know.

Standing in her living room, Flaky looked at all the unpacked boxes lining the walls. Most of them were full of books, which couldn't be put away because the shelves haven't been built yet.

One of the boxes held her copy of 'Jane Eyre'. After digging through eight boxes, Flaky finally found the book and brought it to her room. Smudge followed and curled on her bed with her, while she paged through it, trying to find the parts where Giggles tapped the arm of her wheelchair.

She's tapped in five places that Flaky could remember. The first one was when Jane save Rochester from being burned. The second was a description of Blanche Ingram. The third was when Jane told how she'd stopped noticing Rochester's bad points. The last two were about the new man who came to Thornfield Hall.

Actually, she couldn't be completely sure that Giggles meant to tap in those places. Maybe it was hard for her to lift her hand. Maybe she was trying to do it a few sentences earlier, or even a paragraph.

Flaky places post-it notes on the pages and shut the book. She'd ask Giggles tomorrow.

Giggles had something to say, and Flaky was going to help her say it.

* * *

With the sun out for a second day in a row, Flaky thought for sure she could get Giggles onto the terrace. But as soon as she got to the house, Mrs. Joy nodded towards the library. Then she hurried away before Flaky could say a word.

Looking down the hall, Flaky saw Giggles' father. He had a pile of papers in one hand and a suitcase at his feet. He'd obviously come back form his trip, but it looked like he would be leaving again soon.

"Hi, Giggles," she said, walking into the library. "Hey, you're wearing Cuddles' necklace. It looks beautiful."

Giggles stayed still.

Flaky dragged the stool across the floor again. At least nobody kept putting 'Jane Eyre' back on the shelf. It was exactly where she'd left it, on a low table near the windows.

She picked it up and opened it to her place as she walked back to the stool. As she did, something slipped out and drifted to the floor by her feet.

It was a small piece of white paper, folded in half. Flaky bent and picked it up. Moving towards the stool again, she opened it.

And then she stopped moving.

Her mouth went dry and she felt the blood running through her ears.

The paper held a single sentence.

 _ **If you want to keep reading, be careful who you talk to.**_

It was a message. A message for Flaky.

But it wasn't from Giggles.


End file.
